290 UGANDA AND THE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN creatures. They had come from Obeid with Hagi Lemen only the day before we started, consequently had not had time to drink well, or to rest after their long journey. This caused us great inconvenience, for they all died on the road ; and we should have saved time had we waited at Omchanga for another day or two. Unfortunately we increased our troubles by starting on a Tuesday, it being considered by cameldrivers an unlucky day. They refused to go with us, thus more work fell to the share of our soldiers, who, being obliging, good fellows did not complain ; still this caused delay. The first day we only accomplished ten miles, very slowly marched ; on the second day we went thirteen miles, and three of our camels died. The second night we stopped at a village at which we were told that our soldiers had stolen two boys. This story we did not believe, but as the people said they could recognise the boys, we told them to bring the boys to us. They went and returned with our own men and two of our boys, whom they swore were their own sons. So much for Arab veracity ! Large numbers of adansonias were seen, but no other water was to be had for love or money, and the chief drink is obtained from the water-melons, immense fields of which surround the villages.

As soon as we entered the different villages the head man prepared for our reception by putting on a clean shirt. We rested meanwhile in the